Cheeseburger
by Professor Wolfie
Summary: It's 3 AM and all she wants is a Cheeseburger.


Natasha Romanoff wasn't picky. No she wasn't a picky eater at all. Anyone who knew and worked with her would tell you that. It was kind of crazy actually. She was willing to eat some of the most disgusting looking or smelling foods that the Avengers had ever seen, and she wouldn't even complain.

Pickiness was not her forte … She grew up in a place where getting food on a daily basis was a treat and a blessing, not an everyday occurrence. And when she did get food, the food was horrible and there was never enough. The Red Room rewarded the girls with food and safety from torture they also punished them by withholding and applying the aforementioned. If you won a fight, you got a bigger meal than usual and you wouldn't be subjected to torture sessions. If you lost a fight, yet managed to survive, you either got less than usual or none at all and you would get a week of torture sessions so you could learn to 'handle the pain'. It was hard times. That's why she wasn't picky. She was just grateful to be able to have food to eat.

Once out of the Red Room, she traveled the world to kill; therefore she ate a wide variety of food from different cultures. She didn't always have much money, so she bought cheap food from street vendors half the time. When she moved to the U.S. and joined SHIELD, she was exposed to more than 'poor peoples' food because she had a steady higher paying income that could afford her certain things she could never have afforded before.

And she wasn't like most other people (obviously). She bought and ate only the food she needed. If she made too much food, she'd either force herself to eat the rest or make sure she ate what remained the next day. Food was a privilege to her.

Clint thought she was nuts. Rarely did she ever eat ice cream, and sweets were practically nonexistent in her diet, despite how much she enjoyed chocolate. When she wanted something sweet, she ate fruit. On a regular basis, however, she would taint her body with alcohol. That was the one indulgence she would allow herself. She was very careful about it too. She had seen firsthand what alcohol can do to people and she really didn't want to be one of those people.

On her chosen diet, yes she was a little picky. But she really didn't care what she had to eat when she was hungry. She had a high metabolism and she got grumpy when she was hungry. So she figured it was best to just eat and save herself from the headache and bad mood. To Natasha, food was a huge privilege that she didn't always have when she was young. So, she'd eat just about anything when it came right down to it. When it was her night to pick what they'd have for dinner, she'd always say, "I don't care," and that was always her response, which helped no one. So they simply stopped asking her because she really didn't care.

But when she came home tonight at 3 AM, all she wanted was a cheeseburger. Literally that is all she wanted, all she could think about at the moment. She actually considered leaving and going to a fast food joint at 3 AM to get a good old American cheeseburger. But then she came to her senses and realized it was 3 AM. Sure, there were fast food places open 24 hours. Unfortunately, she knew if she went, she'd probably be disappointed with the quality or taste of the food. All she wanted was a good cheeseburger, she thought as she slowly took the elevator from the roof to her floor. But then it hit her … he'd be awake and he never denied her anything. She stepped off the elevator onto her floor and turned on the lights, "JARVIS, is Steve awake?" She asked.

_"__Of course,"_ He said as if it was normal. And it was normal, Steve's nightmares plagued him when he slept. Plus the super soldier serum required him to only need a little amount of sleep to function.

She weighed her options. On one hand, she was beyond tired and she was also pretty filthy. On the other hand, she was hungry and she knew she would want this damn cheeseburger for a week if she didn't eat one…

Cheeseburger it is.

"Awesome," she mumbled and dropped her duffle bag and headed back into the elevator, pressing the button for Steve's floor.

_"__Are you planning on visiting him?"_

"Yep."

_"__And you're aware of the time?"_

"Yep, but I really want a cheeseburger."

_"__Don't you think it's a bit unreasonable?"_

"I know it's unreasonable. But I don't care," she stated and the elevator dinged. She thought for sure she heard JARVIS sigh. Slowly she stepped out of the elevator, sure enough the floor was lit up and Steve was sitting on the sofa drawing. He was completely focused on the drawing.

Slowly and silently she walked into the room, she was in her black cat suit covered in dust, mud, and blood. Luckily, almost none of the blood was hers (she only suffered a few cuts, nothing major). Natasha vaulted over the back of the sofa landing next to him. He jumped, dropping his sketch book and put his hands up in defense. "Relax," she muttered and put her feet on his lap and leaned her head against the arm of the sofa.

His stiff shoulders loosened and he dropped his hands to pick up his sketch book. "How'd your mission go?" He asked quietly and then flipped the sketch book page and started a new drawing.

"I think you and I both know they never go well."

He snorted and then looked at her. "Do you know what time it is?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Time for you to get a watch," she said with a smirk, knowing full well that he was actually asking if she knew it was 3 AM.

"You're impossible, you know that?" He said with a frustrated sigh.

"That's what makes me so special. That's also probably why you love me so much," she said with a smirk.

He blushed and looked back at his sketch book. "What are you doing here anyway?" He asked.

She chuckled, "I'm really hungry."

"Okay…," he said, afraid of where this was going.

"And I really want a cheeseburger, to be specific," looking back on when she made the decision to come down here, she realized now that she must have had a lapse in judgment.

He laughed, "I'm assuming that you want **me** to make **you** said cheeseburger?" He asked.

She faked a gasp, "You are so smart!" She said with her typical sarcastic tone. He really was a smart guy, but she was just trying to push his buttons.

He sighed and removed her feet from his lap. Looking at her seriously with his baby blue eyes, "Just cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup – right?" He asked with a straight face as he placed his sketch book down.

She didn't know how he did it. If she was him she would be either cracking up in laughter or yelling at the person to leave because she wanted to rest alone. Steve behavior continually confused her. Like why he would just drop what he was doing to do something for her at this unholy hour. She once told Clint she loved Steve more because he gave her food and did stuff for her then she loved his personality. Of course, she was half joking – half! He did do a lot for her, and she appreciated it, really. He was literally just a nice guy. She smiled and nodded to him, "Thank you," she said.

He rolled his eyes and got up and walked into the kitchen. He pulled out ground beef (that he WAS going to use to meatloaf for dinner). He opened the door to a lower cabinet and got out a pan and turned on the stove and placed the pan on the burner to heat it up. "So why a cheeseburger?" He asked and began making a patty of beef.

"Honestly, I don't know. I was sitting on the Quinjet dozing off and I realized how hungry I was. Then I thought, I want a cheeseburger. And I couldn't get the thought out of my head," Natasha replied with a chuckle and picked up his sketch book and flipped through the pages and looked at the different drawings. There were extremely realistic drawings of Peggy Carter, the women who first ran SHIELD with Howard Stark. Some pictures featured Howard Stark himself, or Bucky, or the Howling Commando's. Then the drawings moved onto the Avengers. A drawing of all the Avengers together laughing in that filthy shwarma place down the street. Another drawing was of Tony and Clint throwing water balloons at each other. Another picture was of Thor holding Mjolnir while eating pop tarts, and another of Bruce working in the lab. Then the pictures moved onto her. Personally, she thought he drew her too perfect. She honestly didn't think she was that pretty. Every detail was perfect and there were at least five portraits of her, and then some drawings of what looked to be purely emotional drawings from nightmares he must have had.

He laughed, "You're crazy you know that right?" He asked her with a smile and a small sparkle in his baby blue eyes when he looked back at her.

She grinned, "Says the man who decided to step into a metal box and get exposed to radiation and injected with harsh chemicals."

He chuckled, "You crack me up," he said as he placed a patty into the now hot pan.

She shrugged, "My humor is an acquired taste, only meant for those as disturbed as I am," she said with a smirk.

He laughed, "Well then, we can be disturbed together," he said quietly.

She could feel her walls cracking. Nope. Change the subject, "You're a really good artist," she pointed out.

He blushed, "I'm not that good," always the modest one.

She hated that he was so damn self-deprecating. He was literally perfect in every way and he was so freaking modest. He's Captain America for god sakes and he's shy around women and people in general. The man could do anything he wanted; and yet, he chose to do what's right and what's best. It never ceased to amaze her. "No, you really are. Seriously, Steve. You're an amazing artist. Have some confidence for once."

"But they're just doodles," he said modestly.

"Seriously … doodles are stick figures. Which sums up the extent of my drawing skills," Natasha was speaking the truth. She really couldn't even draw a stick figure straight. "I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler!"

"I'll have to teach you sometime," he said with a smile and flipped her burger.

"Well if I learn from anyone it'll be you," she said quietly and placed his sketch book down.

He smiled at her and then noticed his white leather sofa was now covered in enemy blood, mud, and dust. It was no secret that he was a clean freak. He stared at the sofa silently and she smirked mischievously, "Oops," she muttered.

He glared but it didn't last. He was never really able to stay angry at her for long (unless she put herself or those both at risk – which was a frequent occurrence, but his anger still didn't last too long.) His anger turned to worry, "That isn't your blood is it?" He asked.

"I'm almost insulted that you would suggest such a thing," Natasha smirked, gently touched her chest with her hands.

He rolled his eyes, "I'm asking because I worry. You know that," Steve responded as he placed the burger on a piece of bread with mustard and ketchup on it. Grabbing a pickle out of the jar he placed it on a cutting board and sliced three thin pieces. He placed a piece of cheese and the pickle slices on top of the burger and then put another slice of bread on top.

"I know, but you don't need to worry," she said simply and watched as he walked towards her with a burger on a plate.

"I will anyway."

"I know, now give me my food."

"What's the magic word?"

"Give me my food or I'll slit your throat?"

He sighed and handed her the plate. She gave him a pleased smile and picked up the burger. They sat in silence as she ate and he drew. She was half way through her burger when she finally muttered, "Thanks."

He grinned at her, "You're welcome."

"Don't get all smiley, you'll never hear that from me again," she hissed.

"Fine, then I'll never make food for you at three in the morning again," he threatened.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

"I hate you."

"Don't lie."

* * *

**I was sitting in my room eating a cheeseburger after hockey practice. That is what inspired this.**

**Its not great but I couldn't get it out of my head.**


End file.
